לשכב
lishkav
In Hebrew, 'lay down' is translated as לשכב (lishkav).
Meaning: to place on the ground (verb)
How do you pronounce it?
lishkav
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often confuse the meaning of the Hebrew word 'lishkav' (to lie down) with 'to lay down' (to place an object), but in Hebrew, לשכב specifically refers to a person or animal lying down themselves.
Did you know?
- In biblical Hebrew, the root within לשכב is frequently used as a euphemism for sexual intimacy, a usage that persists in formal or literary modern Hebrew.
- The concept of 'laying down' one's life or a rule in Hebrew often uses the verb להקריב (lehakriv), which is more closely related to the idea of 'sacrificing' than the physical act of lying down.
- There is a distinct difference between לשכב (to lie down) and להישכב (to be laid down), where the latter implies that an external force moved you into that position.
Example conversation
Noam and Maya are organizing a picnic in the park.
- נועם Noamמאיה, את יכולה לשכב את הסל כאן?Maya, at yekhola lashakev et hasel kan?Maya, can you lay the basket down here?
- מאיה Mayaבטח, איפה בדיוק?Betach, eyfo bidiyuk?Sure, where exactly?
- נועם Noamליד המטריה, בבקשה.Leyad hamitriya, bevakasha.Next to the umbrella, please.
- מאיה Mayaזה כבר שם, נועם.Ze kvar sham, Noam.It's already there, Noam.
